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2017-08-15 Three Rivers
Oregon›Deschutes County

Three RiversOR

A town of 3,995 in Oregon.

1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Kingofthedead · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo of Three Rivers

Three Rivers, OR · Photo: Kingofthedead · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗

Is Three Rivers a good place to live?

The weak point is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $558K, 6.2 years of the Bend metro’s $90K median household income. With a C+ overall, Three Rivers sits 58th of 142 in Oregon. Set against the rest, it does better than 40% of U.S. towns. Schools are its strong suit (A) — its schools outperform 88% of the state's. Add health to its strengths — residents are healthier than just over three quarters of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On history, just 18 of Oregon’s 228 towns do worse. Three Rivers’ rent at the middle of the market is $2,250 a month, above both the Oregon town median ($1,413 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Only 5 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a lower January low than Three Rivers.

Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · NOAA normals, 1991–2020.

What makes Three Rivers stand out

Where Three Rivers beats most towns.

A growing town

Three Rivers has grown 30% from 2010 to 2020

3,014 counted in 2010 and 3,925 in 2020.

3,0142010
3,9252020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

How Three Rivers grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Three Rivers is from typical.

How grading works
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Three Rivers: who provides what

Three Rivers is unincorporated, so Deschutes County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerMidstate Electric Coop11.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWater Wonderland Improv Dist 2No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDeschutes CountyDeschutes County provides services here
SchoolsBend-La Pine Administrative School District 1Which school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Oregon you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereDeschutes County Clerk, Elections OfficeDeschutes County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP code9770797707 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Three Rivers.

Three Rivers has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Bend and beyond.

HealthA−

A smaller share of adults sleep under 7 hours in Three Rivers than in most of Oregon or the rest of the country

For adults in Three Rivers, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 17%. Against the Oregon average, Three Rivers comes out ahead on 6 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 2. In Three Rivers, 29% of adults have obesity, and 18% get no exercise outside work.

76%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
Three RiversOregon townsU.S. towns
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)26%32%36%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)29%35%35%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)18%21%25%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)16%18%17%
26 measures vs. Oregon
6 better18 too close to call2 worse
What stands outThree RiversOR
Fewer uninsured adults6%8.5%
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth9.9%12.5%
More adults who have had cancer10.8%8.9%
St. Charles Medical Center - Bend
18.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
76th
percentile among OR towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+

About two in five of Three Rivers’ working residents commute to Bend

Three Rivers has 453 jobs for its 1,541 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.

Three Rivers: 4.7% of working residents work locally. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs here rose by 280, to 453. Half the trips to work are shorter than 18 miles. The top destinations are Bend (38%), Sunriver (12%) and Portland (7%).

5%work in town
Three RiversOregon townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line7.1%11%9.6%
Working residents who work in town4.7%10%8%
Median household income$87,000$81,000$80,000
Average trip to work24 minutes23 minutes25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Three Rivers5%
Bend38%
Sunriver12%
Portland7%
Redmond3%
18 mi
median commute distance
453
jobs based in Three Rivers
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 46% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−

High risk in Three Rivers, with inland flooding at the top

Compared with 77% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Three Rivers is higher. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 86% come from inland flooding.

77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
77High riskLowerHigher
Inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Three Rivers has snowy winters and pleasant summers

The Wickiup Dam weather station, 15 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 100 days, shorter than in 100% of U.S. towns.

A winter brings about 74 inches of snow, with January nights at 22° and July afternoons at 83°.

74″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter22–41°
Spring29–56°
Summer43–79°
Fall32–60°
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

OutdoorsC

In Three Rivers, 5.1% of the land is conserved

4.8 miles of trail. The trail density for Three Rivers comes to 0.6 miles per square mile.

#83for trails in OR
Three RiversOregon townsU.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile0.6 miles per square mile0.80.4
Conserved land5.1%4.3%4.3%
5.1%
conserved · 243 of 4,786 acres
4.8 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Who lives here

Fewer young adults than Oregon overall

44% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Three Rivers. Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (39% statewide).

45.1median age · OR 40.4
Three RiversOregon townsU.S. towns
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+44%27%29%
Median age45.1 years39.3 years40.5 years
Under 1818%21%22%
Aged 65 or older21%18%18%
Three RiversOregonUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma1%
High school22%
Some college22%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s31%
Graduate13%

Women and men · all residents

47% women, 53% men

About 115 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.5 points). Across Oregon, 50.1% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Three Rivers
Three RiversORU.S.
Under 1011.4%10.3%11.6%
10 to 176.8%9.6%10.3%
18 to 241.2%8.5%9.1%
25 to 3414.5%14%13.7%
35 to 4416%14.1%13.2%
45 to 548.7%12.3%12.2%
55 to 6420%12.2%12.7%
65 to 7416.1%11.5%10.2%
75 and older5.3%7.6%7%
No diploma1.4%8.2%10.4%
High school22.1%22.4%26%
Some college21.5%23.5%19.1%
Associate’s11.1%9.1%8.8%
Bachelor’s31.1%22.7%21.6%
Graduate12.8%14.1%14.1%

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,000, single groups can be off by several points

HousingCost of living grade D

The median rent in Three Rivers is higher than in the typical Oregon or U.S. town

Among 142 Oregon towns, just 3 have a higher owner-occupancy rate than Three Rivers.

$1.88Mmedian sale price
Three RiversOregon townsU.S. towns
Median rent$2,250 a month$1,413 a month$1,185 a month
Households that own their home92%65%73%
2
homes sold in May

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Nearby attractions

Three Sisters and 8 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Three Rivers. Close and well known come first.

All 13 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Three Sisters: USGS photo by Lyn Topinka, Public domain · Newberry Volcano: USGS photo by Lyn Topinka, Public domain · Newberry National Volcanic Monument: USGS photo by Lyn Topinka, Public domain · High Desert Museum: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Petersen Rock Garden: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Three Rivers

16pages on Three Rivers
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Three Rivers; the nearest are

A commuter town

95% of working residents leave Three Rivers for work

Where Three Rivers’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

38% → Bend Bend 38% 12% → Sunriver Sunriver 12% 7% → Portland Portland 7% 3% → Redmond Redmond 3% 3% → La Pine La Pine 3% 3% → Salem Salem 3% Three Rivers · 5% stay
453jobs based in Three Rivers
5%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Three Rivers

Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States

Three Rivers South or Three Rivers is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,014 at the 2010 census.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
7.5 sq mi
Elevation
4,186 ft
Area code
458, 541

Three Rivers’s neighbors

One town shares a border with Three Rivers.

Explore the map →
How the neighbors grade
TownOR rankOverallCostSafetySchoolsHealth
Three Rivers#58C+D—AA−
Sunriver——DB−AA

Sunriver has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Three Rivers reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Three Rivers with a neighbor →

Questions about Three Rivers

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Three Rivers, OR a good place to live?

Three Rivers grades C+ overall, better than 40% of U.S. towns and #58 of 142 in Oregon. It grades A− for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.

Is Three Rivers, OR expensive?

Yes. The typical home is worth about $558,000, 13% above the Oregon typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.